Chapter 464 Philip's Pressure

"Another ugly costume?" Hu Xiaoxiao praised. "Mr. Philip, you are truly a loving philanthropist. You spent a stratum of money just to invite me to come all the way here to play an ugly woman. Actually, you don't have to do that. You only need to pay a fraction of my stratum of money. I'm sure there will be many actors willing to play this role."

Philip heard Hu Xiaoxiao's sarcasm and said sincerely, "I swear to God, I didn't mean to vilify Miss Xiaoxiao. It's possible that the designer misunderstood this, which led to today's misunderstanding. Miss Xiaoxiao, please believe in our determination to make 'The Magic Contract' a success, and please believe in our sincere invitation to you. Don't worry about the costumes. We will give you an explanation."

"Mr. Philip, when you first invited me here, you were so sincere that you even waited for me for over a year and met all my requests. But your actions today have completely failed to show my sincerity. I am not optimistic about our future cooperation."

"Miss Xiaoxiao, you can trust me again."

"Trust requires sincerity, and I didn't see your sincerity. Mr. Philip, I'm sorry. I'm already packing my luggage and preparing a flight back to Baogang. You can talk to my legal department later about matters related to the contract."

Hu Xiaoxiao leaned on the sofa, casually flipping through the documents with his fingers. His attitude was very strong and his tone was unyielding.

Philip became really anxious at this point. Seeing that he couldn't reach an agreement with Hu Xiaoxiao, he quickly called Dong Peiyu, hoping that Dong Peiyu would mediate. After all, the two had communicated for the longest time and were more familiar with each other.

After seeing the incoming call, Dong Peiyu exchanged glances with Hu Xiaoxiao before she answered the call.

On the other end of the phone, Philip first expressed his apologies, and then begged Dong Peiyu to help mediate.

Dong Peiyu sighed, "Mr. Philip, you're putting me in such a difficult position. Miss Xiaoxiao never wanted to come to Hollywood. It was my unwillingness to resist your repeated requests, and seeing your sincerity, I finally agreed to this collaboration. However, what you're doing is so dishonest. All the characters' looks are beautiful and fashionable, but Miss Xiaoxiao's is tacky, weird, and very different. In our opinion, aren't you just trying to intimidate Miss Xiaoxiao right from the start? How can this be a friendly attitude? You're clearly trying to make an enemy."

"Ms. Dong, this is just a cultural misunderstanding. This is not our original intention. You and Miss Xiaoxiao have misunderstood. Miss Xiaoxiao should give us a chance to explain instead of refusing to perform immediately. We should communicate..." Philip said helplessly on the other end of the phone.

The film had been delayed for over a year. If Hu Xiaoxiao refused, where would they find a suitable actor? Furthermore, he had heard that a competing film company was also interested in expanding into the Asian market. They were also preparing a special effects film with Eastern elements. They had already approved the project and invited famous Japanese actors to join. If "Magic Contract" was delayed any further, their competitors' films would have already been released, gaining market share ahead of time. It was unclear when they would be able to complete "Magic Contract."

Hollywood movies, especially those with popular themes, also emphasize shooting efficiency. Hamlet Company has seriously delayed the construction period. If it is delayed any further, the project will be scrapped.

The cancellation of major projects, the company's annual report at the end of the year, and the market's suspicion of them will bring huge disadvantages to the company's future investment attraction.

Hamlet is a publicly listed company. When Hu Xiaoxiao agreed to star in "The Magic Contract," they began circulating information to the market, conveying various optimistic messages about the Asian market. After the official signing, they even released this news directly, boosting investor confidence in Hamlet.

If Hu Xiaoxiao refuses to perform, it will be very unfavorable for Hamlet Company in the stock market. If the rival company manipulates negative public opinion, the situation will be even more difficult to handle.

Hu Xiaoxiao's withdrawal, let alone having a contract to support it, cannot make up for the losses of Hamlet Company even if she is willing to pay the liquidated damages.

So, when Philip heard Hu Xiaoxiao was packing her bags, how could he not be anxious? "If we weren't sincere, how could we agree to pay Miss Xiaoxiao a higher salary than the male lead? As Miss Xiaoxiao said, even if we were paid a fraction of the salary, there would be a group of actors in Hollywood vying for the role."

Philip repeated what he had just said to Hu Xiaoxiao in detail. "Although the contract gives Miss Xiaoxiao the right of veto, the prerequisite is that we are unwilling to change the styling and costume. Miss Xiaoxiao can refuse to act. Now that we agree to change the styling and costume, Miss Xiaoxiao has no reason to refuse to act. Otherwise, the law will not support it. Miss Dong, you don't want to sue our company, right? The penalty for breach of contract is several times the salary!"

Dong Peiyu was not intimidated. She and Hu Xiaoxiao had already made all the preparations before coming to Hollywood, otherwise they would not have hired several legal consultants.

Dong Peiyu said calmly, "Mr. Philip, I must correct you on one point. Miss Xiaoxiao is not short of money. She accepted this film because she was moved by your company's sincerity, which is why she traveled all the way to Hollywood. Now that Miss Xiaoxiao has discovered that your sincerity is fake, she is very sad and upset. She feels that you have betrayed her friendship. So it is understandable that Miss Xiaoxiao wants to refuse the role. As for the lawsuit you mentioned..."

Dong Peiyu exchanged a glance with Hu Xiaoxiao again and continued, "Forget about the contract supporting it. Even if the contract doesn't support it, Miss Xiaoxiao has plenty of money. Even if the court orders us to pay liquidated damages, Miss Xiaoxiao can definitely afford it. However, your Hamlet Company is in a precarious situation. With Miss Xiaoxiao's influence in Asia, you've acted so dishonestly. Once this news breaks, will you still want to expand into the Asian market? You know how many fans Miss Xiaoxiao has in Asia. You're willing to pay her exorbitant salary, isn't it because of her huge fan base? Do you hope they'll boycott it? Furthermore, I understand that lawsuits don't end in a day or two. We have plenty of money and can easily hire the best lawyers to fight you for a year, two, or even three years. Miss Xiaoxiao is the boss of Shengshi Company and has the financial resources to fight you for ten or twenty years. As for the negative impact this lawsuit will have on Hamlet Company, that has nothing to do with us."

Obviously, Dong Peiyu was very aware of Hamlet Company's situation in the stock market.

On the other end of the phone, Philip finally felt the tremendous pressure.

He rubbed his aching temples. Dong Peiyu's words made sense. If he wanted to blame someone, he should blame Hamlet Company for giving too many preferential treatments when signing the contract.

But these preferential treatments have to be given to her. If Hu Xiaoxiao is not given conditions that satisfy her, she will not sign the contract at all.

The initiative has always been in Hu Xiaoxiao's hands, because it is Hamlet Company that needs Hu Xiaoxiao, not Hu Xiaoxiao who needs Hamlet Company.